Nigerian international midfielder Kelechi Nwakali has completed a move to EFL League one club Barnsley for an undisclosed fee.
The 26 year-old left Liga Portugal 2 club GD Chaves following their relegation from the top flight last season and has penned a three-year contract with the English side, subject to visa and international clearance.
Nwakali rose to prominence after captaining Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets to victory at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.
His standout performances earned him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, sharing the spotlight with fellow Nigerian stars Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen who were also part of the victorious squad.
Developed at Diamond Academy in Abia State, Nigeria, Nwakali’s potential caught the eye of European scouts early on, leading to a high-profile move to Arsenal on a five-year contract.
Difficulty in obtaining a work permit resulted in him embarking on loan spells with VVV Venlo, MVV Maastricht and Porto B before the Nigerian decided to leave the Gunners after three years at the club.
“I decided to leave Arsenal after three years because the process of getting my work permit was difficult, so I had to make a move to Spain, where I signed for Huesca. I also needed a place where I could call home and establish myself”, Nwakali told Nigeria Info FM in an interview 8 months ago.
Nwakali’s time at Huesca ended in acrimonious circumstances after the termination of his contract with the Spanish club which he alleged was due to him representing the Super Eagles at the 2021 AFCON that took place in Cameroon in January 2022 that the club had been abusing its power in an attempt to force him to sign a new contract, including failing to pay his wages on time.
Following his departure from Huesca, he had spells with Ponferradina and Alcorcon before his move to GD Chaves last season.
Nwakali got into hot water with the Portuguese side after he was seen using his phone on the substitutes’ bench during a 1-0 loss to FC Famalicão which confirmed GD Chaves’ relegation from the top flight, raising concerns about his professionalism.
Speaking at his unveiling, he expressed his delight at joining Barnsley when the chance to return to England came to him.
“I am very happy to sign for Barnsley Football Club. I spoke to Mladen [Sormaz] and the Head Coach Darrell [Clarke] earlier in the summer and I knew that this was an exciting opportunity for me, I know I can bring a lot to the team”, Nwakali stated.
“I am looking forward to being back in England and making Oakwell my home for the next three years”, Nwakali added.
Barnsley’s sporting director Sormaz also revealed the club’s excitement about their swoop for the midfielder, stating
“There is no doubt that Kelechi is a really talented player who can offer Darrell something different”, the former Leicester City Head of Analytics started.
We knew that the player wanted to return to England and that gave us an opportunity to bring him to Oakwell and we believe his experience playing in some of Europe’s top leagues will benefit us over the coming years.
He has had a shortened pre-season and we’ll ease him into first team action over the coming weeks“, Sormaz added.
It is hoped this move would provide the stability Nwakali needs to fulfill the promise he showed as a youth international.
